KNIVES REVIEW - KITCHEN TIPS & much more

Knives can be found in many places, but you should have a little knowledge before buying a knife or knives. Let me start with a story. Some 30 years ago when Patty was accepted into the culinary school she was advised she should have 3 knives to start. A paring knife, a boning knife, and a chef’s knife. The College shared 3 companies to look at to buy her first knives. After a lot of research, she chose J.A. Henckels and bought her first 3 knives. We still use them today. The moral of that story is that you should buy good quality knives and they will last a long time. J.A. Henckels is a very old and renowned German Company. They have been in business for 209 years. Another outstanding German Company is Wusthof, in business for 200 years. While both of these companies seem pricey, the knives should last for a very long time.

For those of us looking to buy “Made in America”, Rada Cutlery, Cutco, and Warther Cutlery are worth looking at. I spent hours reviewing these 3 “Made in America” companies. They were all highly rated with highly rated knives. The bottom line is they are all featured on Amazon.com.

Now for a couple of tips about knives:

1) There are normally 2 types of knives Forged or stamped. Forged is the better choice. They will last longer are better balanced and will hold an edge longer. A forged at Wusthof goes through a 40-step process while the stamped version has 14 steps.
2) When buying, make sure you buy a steel to sharpen and keep an edge on your knife. Hand sharpen your knives as the electric sharpeners tend to ruin a blade.
3) Always double check the Country of Origin when buying knives as some countries offer good prices but start off with inferior steel.
4) Never put your knives in a dishwasher.

There is 1 more knife that is not mentioned above and that is the fillet knife. It doesn’t normally fit into the “kitchen knives” category but I personally use it a lot. I would suggest the 7-inch blade as it has numerous uses in our kitchen. Whether it is filleting a fish or taking the breast off a turkey, I find the flexibility of a long fillet knife the best choice.

When I went to link this item, I went to Cabelas and Bass Pro but found the same product at Amazon for less money.

Here is a tip for you fisherpersons. Don’t go through the gutting process. Keep the fish in the live well or a bucket of cool water and bring them home. Use your fillet knife, starting right behind the gills and cut right along the backbone. Stop just short of cutting off the tail. Flip the newly cut fillet over and run your fillet knife down along the skin. Voila! A beautiful fillet without the mess.

Don’t hold me to this tip BUT, if you have an old electric knife or if you are still using one. Take out the blades, look closely at the ends that go into the handle and then click here. If the ends look the same, order the fillet blades and you will have an electric fillet knife. Or you can invest in a Rapala Electric filet knife.

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